Photo 1002/3(159)

Genre: Architectural Photography

View looking down onto group of temples. See J. D. Beglar, 'Report of a tour through the Bengal Provinces...in 1872-73' (A.S.I. vol. VIII, Calcutta, 1878), which describes the group, pp. 169-178: '...perhaps, the finest and largest number of temples within a small space that is to be found in the Chutia Nagpur Circle in Bengal.' Bloch list of Indian Museum negatives states: 'It is impossible to identify each single temple with those described by Mr Beglar.'

Also described in 'List of Ancient Monuments in Bengal. Revised and corrected up to 31st August 1895' (Calcutta, 1896), pp. 552-554:

'This is a group of 13 temples. They are all of stone, cut with great care in large blocks, and set dry with very fine joints without the use of mortar. The sculpture was executed after the stones were in position. It is plain and bold. All the openings, if small, are slabbed over, the larger ones being covered with corbelling out or overlapping courses of masonry. The domes are all constructed on this principle. There is only one true arch in the building which belongs to a later date and was built to separate the temples. The buildings appear to belong to the early post-Muhammadan period, and this is borne out by the discovery in one of the temples of two isolated characters of the 10th century A.D. The temples are both Vaishnav and Saivite; statues of Ganesa, the Lingam, and Vishnu in his various forms, being distributed about equally.

The ruins of these temples are the most extensive in the whole district. The river has gradually been encroaching on the high bank on which the ruins stand, and temple after temple has fallen down. Huge blocks of stone, fragments of idols, carved ornaments in stone,—all lie heaped up promiscuously in the bed of the Damudar and their traces are being gradually obliterated by accumulations of sand.

Telkupi is traditionally said to be so named from the circumstance that Raja Vikramaditya used to come here to rub oil (tel) on his body previous to bathing in the Chhota Pokhar at Dalmi.'

The temples are listed at this time as being under the custody of the Raja of Pachet.